Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has said he passed on information about the IRA killing of prison officer Brian Stack to the gardaí so Opposition parties could not accuse him of withholding information.
Mr Stack, who was a chief officer in Portlaoise, died 18 months after he was shot in 1983.
Ahead of the General Election in February, Mr Adams named three senior Sinn Féin figures, including two current public representatives, and a Republican, in an email to the Garda Commissioner.
He said he had been given the names by Mr Stack's son, Austin. Mr Stack has denied this.
Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Mr Adams said he explained to the Commissioner that he himself had no information but was given the names that he included in the email by Mr Stack.
He added he never said anyone was a suspect and he was passing on the information to put to bed allegations from Opposition parties prior to the election that he was withholding something.
